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Join Date

May 2010

Posts

9,792

Re: How do I hold traditional grip

All I can say is practice, practice if you know how to hold the sticks. Do you have a school marching band maybe talk to someone there. I learn to play traditional in a cadet marching/military drumming band which was easier than the drumline. Good luck.

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Join Date

Nov 2009

Posts

3,008

Re: How do I hold traditional grip

Originally Posted by ZackPomerleau

Why question motives? If he/she wants to learn it let them be.

Dude...not questioning their desire, but the motive is an important starting point. Not trying to talk anyone into or out of anything, but it should be pointed out that learning trad is a choice and not mandatory under many circumstances.

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Re: How do I hold traditional grip

I play right handed and learned to play traditional but now play mostly mmatched.

I hold the left stick in the webbing between my thumb and index finger and then thru the middle and ring finger.

My grip is very loose and when I play the majority of contact with the stick is in the webbing area....the part of the stick between the middle and ring finger is just there for balance / stick control.

Hope this helps.

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Join Date

Mar 2010

Posts

437

Re: How do I hold traditional grip

Here's a video of 3 well known drummers all playing traditional girp differently. The basics are all the same, but nuance of how to use your thumb and fingers with the grip varies with different drummers. There is no cut and dry, "This is how it's done!" The Pope Video is good for the basics.

You need to discover your own comfort zone that suits your needs and style. After watching this check out Steve Snmith and Thomas Lang for 2 more vay different ways to use the grip. Check out some corps and concert drummers to see a completely different use of the grip.

Pay particular attention to how Gadd uses his fingers around the 6 minute mark, notice how Coaiuta uses, or doesn't use his thumb and keeps it up an out of the way, notice where each grips the stick, notice how each differently uses wrist and arm movement for accents and ghost notes. Traditional grip is all nuance. Kudos on spending the time to learn the grip. Although no grip has any complete advantage over another, there is perceptive value from others about the grip you use. It would be nice to say that didn't matter, but when gigging is your income, the visual is important to some and it can make the difference between working and not working. Just one of the realites of playing any insturment. Have you seen any jazz bands with an electric bassist who plays the bass down around their knees? ETC. ETC. ETC. Learning everything you can, including the different grips is worthwhile.